3 Weeks
by Ponytail-of-righteous-justice
Summary: It's been 3 weeks, and Jane hates being ignored. Possible Rizzles.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer. Once again, we don't own anything. :(**_

_**Thanks to Joanna for co-writing. Feel free to review.**_

_**This is set after the ending of season two, so spoiler alert if you've not seen it yet.**_

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><p>"<em>NO! DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!"<em>

"_I SAID DON'T TOUCH HIM!"_

3 weeks later, and Jane still replays that moment in her head. She had never seen a look so harsh on a face not used to holding it. And she hoped she never saw it again.

3 weeks later, and Jane still sees the shooting, the fall and the tears of her best friend happen in slow motion.

3 weeks later, and Jane Rizzoli still wakes up in the dead of night with a start.

It has been 3 weeks since Jane shot Patrick Doyle, and 3 weeks since Maura Isles last spoke to her.

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><p>"RIZZOLI, MY OFFICE NOW!" Bellowed Cavanagh.<p>

Jane jumped at her bosses' voice. She hadn't realized she was so out of it, until she noticed she had been reading the same page of a case file for nearly half an hour. Not that the page wasn't important, her brain was just elsewhere. She had opted for reading the file instead of launching it across the room after her 4th ignored phone call of the day. Jane hated being ignored. Sighing internally, she rose from her chair and followed Cavanaugh.

"Sir?" Jane asked, not quite meeting his gaze as she entered his office and sat down.

"I.A. is going to be looking into you. They want to know how you knew Doyle was back."

"Yes sir."

Jane slouched in her chair. She knew that he was going to ask for her badge and gun. She was not however, expecting the next question.

"When was the last time you spoke to Doctor Isles?"

Jane winced.

"I've not spoken to her since I shot…" Jane cleared her throat "…Since the incident sir"

"Oh"

"Oh, what?"

"It's just that I.A has looked into her too, and I need her to know that we are on her side and will help her as much as possible. But the thing is Rizzoli, I've just gotten word that because of her involvement and connection with Doyle all of his cases she worked with be thrown out of court. And the worst part? She may be demoted."

"SHE WHAT?" Jane yelled

"Look Rizzoli, you didn't hear that from me ok? She's on…"

But it was too late; Jane had already left the room and was storming down the stairs to the Morgue.

Pyke was there, re-arranging the scalpels and other tools into a way in which he felt more organized.

"Maura, MAURA!" Jane shouted looking around the hallway and surrounding labs. As she turned towards the autopsy room, she got a flashback of the robbery case they had a few weeks prior. She remembered how hurt she was when she found out the medical examiner had been involuntarily keeping the secret of her brother's accidental involvement from her. Jane was not about to do the same to Maura. She figured she had hurt her best friend more than enough for one lifetime, and she needed to warn her of her impending future.

Jane burst through the double doors.

"Pyke, where's Maura?" Jane demanded. She never had much patience for this man. In her current mood, just the expression on his face was enough to piss her off.

"She's not here Detective."

Jane growled at him. She could plainly see that Maura wasn't in the room. Pulling on the reins of her temper, she gritted her teeth.

"Do you know where she would be?"

"Dr. Isles has yet to return to work after the incident at the warehouse. I'm sure her leave is almost up Detective, and to be perfectly honest, she needs to come back soon. I am drowning in formaldehyde, and this morgue is backed up to the hilt."

Jane started. "What do you mean she hasn't been back to work yet? I know I.A hasn't cleared her or any of us yet, but she would have had to at least show her face to fill you in on her cases."

_Now I know you have been ignoring me on purpose, but come on Maura since when do you ignore your job?_

"She hasn't been here Detective, I was given strict instructions from the board to immediately take over all of her cases until I.A clearance. Now please, I am trying to work. I know nothing more."

_Yeah I bet you do Pyke you pompous ass. You probably suggested yourself to the board to take over her cases. _Jane silently seethed as she quickly turned on her heels and stomped back out of the autopsy room and powered up to the main entrance, knocking Frankie askew at the door.

"Love you too sis" he called over sarcastically.

Jane growled again and took the stairs two, three at a time.

She was furious. She was only doing her job. Maura had been avoiding her calls for a week now. She was giving her space after the shooting, but she was sick of being ignored. She was going to sort this thing out once and for all. Grabbing her belongings from her desk, she stormed back out the door to the parking lot ignoring a questioning look from Korsack.

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><p>She arrived at Maura's house. She got out of the car and stormed up to front door.<p>

**knock knock**

No answer

**thump thump**

"MAURA." Jane shouted.

Still nothing.

"Maura, don't ignore me. I need to talk to you right now!"

She decided to use the spare key Maura had given her for emergencies.

Opening the door, she walked through to the kitchen where she expected to find her friend blatantly ignoring her. But instead she found an envelope with her name on it.

She opened it.

"Dear Jane,

I knew that you would come here looking for me once word got out about my demotion, and the humiliation it entails. I can't take it anymore. I just need a break. From you, from me, from us. You betrayed me Jane. What you did was inexcusable. I'm taking my mother back to Europe to help with her recovery. I don't know when, or even if I will be back.

Sincerely,

Doctor Maura Isles.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it took so long to update this. Real life got in the way! I justified this as revision as I mentioned Fayoum Panel Portraits!

Fell free to review. Please *puppy dog eyes*

Thanks to Joanna once again for being my co-author!

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><p>"Maura dear"<p>

"Yes mother?"

"I don't want you getting on this plane"

This took Maura by surprise.

"Why not?"

"You are running away from your problems again"

Maura avoided her mother's gaze. She knew that she was right.

"I just need to clear my head, that's all"

"You can do that here, in Boston."

"I don't think I can," she said, still avoiding eye contact.

"We both know that that was Jane's car pulling into the drive as we were leaving. She obviously cares a great deal about you."

"And I her, mother."

"You more than care about her Maura. I may not have been there for you when you were younger, but I'm not about to let you throw your life away just because of this."

"She shot my father"

"Now you look here. Your father is alive and well and just about to give a lecture on the social and religious aspects of the Fayoum mummy portraits. This man, despite what you might think, has been more of a father to you than Patrick Doyle ever was."

"But mother…"

"But mother, nothing Maura. Patrick Doyle did not raise you. We did. We may not have been around 24/7, but we gave you a good life. We put you through private school in France; we put you through Medical school. We wanted, and provided the best for you. You turned out better than we had ever hoped. You are chief medical examiner of the commonwealth of Massachusetts."

"Not any more, I got demoted." Maura looked down to her feet as she let out a long sigh.

"And you will work your way up again. You are the most intelligent woman on the planet. You aim to be the best at what you do. And they will realise that"

"I don't know what to do" she sobbed.

"First thing is first. You go home, and you tell Jane that you forgive her. She was only doing her job."

"I don't know if I can"

Constance put a hand under her daughters' chin and lifted her eyes to meet her own. "Then you are a fool. That woman worships the ground you walk on."

"She does?"

"She does, even if she is too stubborn to admit it. Even a blind person could see it."

Maura wiped a stray tear from her cheek as a wave of realisation washed over her. This was affecting her much more than she anticipated. Her emotions were a whirlwind and she couldn't figure out why, until it dawned on her that Jane meant more to her than any other friend she has ever had and pushing her away was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. She pushed Jane away for shooting her father, but she realised the dull ache in her chest seemed to grow the farther away she got from Jane.

Maura needed her.

If it were anyone else who had shot Paddy Doyle, Maura would be sitting on Jane's couch right now confiding in the one person she thought she could trust. But her mother was right. _Jane was doing her job. _It was who she was. Maura couldn't fault her for that, she just wished that her rational logic would catch up to her falling tears and tearing heart. Maura then knew that in time she could forgive Jane. It was getting there that was going to be hard. She smiled a sad smile.

"Mother, Jane thinks I've gone with you. I left her a note stating that I would be with you until you recovered, I can't just go marching back to the house and pretend like nothing has happened."

Constance smiled.

"Then take some time. I know you Maura, if you get on that plane you won't go back. I'm not letting you do that to yourself. Or Jane Rizzoli."

"And I can't let you get on that plane by yourself mother. What if something happens?"

"Maura dear, you aren't the only doctor in the world. And besides, now that I am able to walk some and do a lot more I'm sure I can manage a seven hour flight by myself. I can arrange for my doctor to meet me at the airport in Geneva."

Silence filled the empty airport business lounge.

"Go home and sort this out. If you really cannot find a way to forgive Jane, then you can come and stay with us for as long as you need."

Maura stood and ran her hands down the front of her dress to smooth out invisible creases in the fabric.

"I've ignored Jane for nearly a month now because I haven't found a way to forgive her. I honestly don't know if I can yet." She sighed "Why is this so hard?"

"Love is a very difficult thing to understand, but I have faith you'll figure it out Maura, you're a smart girl."

With that, Maura kissed her mother on the cheek, said her goodbyes and went home.

It was almost midnight when she made it home. About 10 minutes of driving aimlessly around Boston, Maura pulled over. She stared at her hands on the steering wheel completely lost in thought. It was only when a small flashes of white light reflected off of her windscreen did she realised where she had parked. It was the Regal Fenway cinema. She laughed inwardly as she remembered the time that she had brought Jane here to a showing of one of her favourite foreign films: 'Les 400 Coups'.

She remembered Jane feigning interest as Maura explained the plot and translated, and remembered how Jane kept moving in her chair. Maura had remembered having to place her hands over Jane's to stop them fidgeting and then she giggled noiselessly as she remembered the barely hidden look of relief on the brunettes face as she suggested leaving early for pizza.

Maura wondered if her brain had told her to drive here.

Somewhere she knew Jane would never go voluntarily.

She poured herself a glass of wine and took herself to bed. She had a lot of things to think through. Her mother was right, Patrick Doyle may not have raised her, but he has protected her. Just like Jane was protecting Frost and Dean. She knew it wasn't logical to have this emotional connection with someone who had given her up for adoption. Who had never been there for her when she needed it the most. Who she only found out was her father, when her half brother turned up on her autopsy table.

Despite all of this, she still didn't think she would be able to forgive Jane.

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><p>"<strong>PUT YOUR HANDS UP OR I'LL BASH YOUR BRAINS IN<strong>" Angela Rizzoli shouted as she burst through Maura's bedroom door.

Maura dropped her glass of wine in terror as she found herself doing exactly as the woman asked.

"Maura, what are you doing here. I thought you were being robbed."

"Sorry Mrs Rizzoli. I should have alerted you to the fact I was coming home. I really am truly sorry."

"It's ok sweetie. I just thought you were going to Europe with your mother?"

"I was supposed to be. But we had a talk at the airport, and she sent me home."

"I wish Jane was as obedient as you." Angela Rizzoli chucked.

"Are you going to speak to her?"

"I don't quite know. Not yet. I still need process the events of that night."

"Ok. Take your time. I'd hate for you two to break up."

"What, Jane and I aren't…"

"Oh. I'm sorry. My bad. I just… well, you two are just Offaly close for two people who are just friends"

"It's ok. It happens a lot. Please don't tell Jane I'm here. I left her a note telling her I was going away."

"I know. I walked in on her pretending not to cry earlier and she showed me the letter."

"Oh."

"Get some sleep honey. You look like you need it. I promise I won't tell Jane you're back."

"Thank you Mrs Rizzoli"

"How many times have I told you, call me Angela."

And with that Angela Rizzoli closed the bedroom door, and went back to the guesthouse. Maura changed the sheets on her bed, and quickly fell asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

**OK, so it has been absolutely FOREVER since we updated. So without further ado… HERE IS CHAPTER 3!**

**Reviews would be much appreciated :D**

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><p>As usual, Maura woke up at the crack of dawn.<p>

She put on her sweat pants and a vest top before grabbing her yoga mat from the closet. When she got to the door, she heaved a heavy sigh. Today was the day that she was going to talk to Jane.

It had been 3 weeks since Mrs Rizzoli came into her bedroom that night and she knew that 3 weeks was far too long to have waited to speak to Jane.

Many times before had she typed an e-mail or wrote a letter, even typed Jane's number into her phone. But every time she bottled out. She didn't know what to say. Well, she did know what to say; she just didn't know if she could say it. Better yet, what if Jane didn't want to hear it?

What if she had left it too long to tell her? To forgive her? The weight of her thoughts pulled her down onto her bed when she heard a knock at her front door. She decided to ignore it, after all, as far as she was aware people still thought she was with her mother.

The knocking continued.

"Damn it Maura, I know you're in there." She heard Jane say to no one in particular.

Another knock, louder this time. "Maura! Open the door!"

Maura froze.

"Let me in! You owe me an explanation!" Jane was getting frustrated. Something moving in her peripheral vision made her swing round.

"Hey, hey you! Get away from that house before I call the cops!" shouted one of Maura's neighbours.

"I am the cops," Jane shouted back clearly not backing away from this

"Oh, yeah then let me see your badge"

Maura opened the door just as Jane was about to put Maura's nosy neighbour in his place.

"Come inside Jane" came Maura's soft voice.

Jane looked at Maura. She was even more beautiful than the last time she saw her. Jane's anger soon disappeared. Maura's annoyance at Jane's antics did not.

"What are you doing here" Maura asked.

"I could ask you the same thing" Jane snorted.

"It's my house"

"You're supposed to be in Europe"

"I never went" Maura mumbled

"You WHAT?"

"I NEVER WENT" Maura shouted.

"You mean you've been here all along, and… Typical" Jane said putting one hand on her hip and one hand on her forehead.

Maura remained silent.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I don't have to answer to you Jane"

"You're right, you don't. But I've been trying to apologize to you every single day since the shooting."

"I'm not ready to forgive you just yet"

"I don't care if you ever forgive me Maura, I just want you to know that I really am sorry. I never meant to seriously injure Paddy Doyle. I thought he was taking a shot at Frost. I was protecting my partner. I just want you to know that so we can get back to working together. I miss you."

Maura was looking at the ground, tears threatening to fall from her eyes

"Fine, I tried." Jane sighed. "I'll not tell anyone you're back yet"

And with that Jane left

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><p>Maura returned to work the next day<p>

The oh so familiar scent of arrested decay reached her nose. It was like she had never left. Turning the corner to her office she noticed Dr Pike. Nothing irritated Maura more than the man currently making himself at home in her office and spinning in her 600 dollar chair.

"Dr Pike, I would appreciate it if you would remove yourself from my chair"

"D… D… Dr Isles" Pike stuttered "I didn't expect to see you in today"

"I cut my sabbatical short, now please get out of my chair" Maura answered curtly.

"Certainly, Dr Isles." Pike chirped before hurriedly leaving the office in a hurry.

Maura sat down on her chair and heaved a heavy sigh at the amount of paperwork Pike had left. This man was impossible to work with. She stood up and gathered all the manila folders in her arm.

As she left her room she crashed right into Barry Frost, overdue paperwork flying high in the air.

"Oh sorry Doctor Isl… Maura! You're back?" He beamed

"Here, let me give you a hand" as started gathering up all the paper that was strewn across the floor

"Thank you detective." Barry straightened up the last of the papers and rose to meet Maura.

"You're welcome, how was Europe?"

"Oh, I didn't go in the end."

Frost looked at her with a puzzled complexion

"I just stayed in Boston, I needed some time to myself. To think"

"I understand Doc, Are you ok now?"

"No, but thank you for asking detective"

"Say doc, where are you going with all these files"

"I'm going to give them to Dr Pike. He left them on my desk. Would you be able to bring them to him for me please?"

"Yeah, sure thing. Anything for you"

Frost stopped at the doorframe

"I'm glad you're back doc, and I know Jane will be too."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that." she mumbled under her breath.

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><p>She sat down in her chair and groaned. Pike had messed with it.<p>

She has set about her task to get her chair back to its perfect position, when her phone rang. She didn't recognise the number.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is that Doctor Maura Isles?"

"Yes it is, can I ask who's calling please?"

"It's Mary, Mary Fitzpatrick. "

"Mary? Gosh, the last time I seen you was that summer after college. Where was it we went? Cabo?

"Yes Cabo, how could I forget the best summer of my life" Mary chuckled.

"How are you? How is Army life? It was the Army you joined wasn't it?

"Yeah. It's fine, they're fine. That's actually why I called. I just got back from Afghanistan, finished my last tour a few weeks ago."

"Oh that's wonderful Mary, I'm glad you're ok"

"So, uh yeah… I'm back in Boston now if you uh, if you wanted to grab a drink with me? You know, for old time sakes?"

"That sounds great, how about tonight? That is if you don't have any other plans? I don't want to interrupt family time"

"Even if I did Maura, I'd drop them for you in a heartbeat."

Maura blushed into her phone.

"I finish work at 5. Where are you staying, I'll come pick you up."

"I'm staying with my parents until I can find somewhere else, you remember where that is right?"

"Yes, it's not far from where I live now actually, so I'll see you shortly after 5?"

"Sounds perfect, see you then"

"Goodbye"

"Bye Maura"

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><p>15 minutes later, Senior Criminalist Suzie Chang came into Maura's office<p>

"Dr Pike, the test results for… Oh Dr Isles, I didn't expect to see you in today"

"I've cut my sabbatical short, mothers condition has improved so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be back at work" Which wasn't _really_ a lie.

"I'm glad to have you back."

"Thank you Suzie"

"Does this mean that you and Jane… err Detective Rizzoli are friends again? Because I don't know how much more of her stomping and grumpiness I can take"

"Jane and I are not friends, are those her test results?"

"Err yeah, Dr Pike like to bring them up himself. I think he likes to make the detectives feel that they are stupid by making them ask him questions"

"Sounds like Dr Pike alright"

"So, um what do I do with these?"

"Go give them to Jane, I don't want her stomping down here and ruining my good mood."

"Ohhhhh has someone got a date?" Suzie said teasingly

"Yes. No. I'm not quite sure actually. I'm meeting someone from college who I've not seen in 9 years"

"Is this someone a special someone"

"They used to be" Maura frowned

"Um, ok. I'll bring these to detective Rizzoli."

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><p>Suzie walked into the bull pen and headed straight for Jane's desk<p>

"Hi detective, here are the test results you wanted"

"Oh are we not good enough for Pike to grace us with his presence" Jane mused.

"I couldn't find him and Dr Isles told me just to bring them up myself"

"Any excuse to avoid me huh?"

"She said that she didn't want you stomping down to the morgue and put her in a bad mood for her date tonight"

"Date?" Jane's heart sank

"Yeah, she says it not. But I reckon it is. Think it was someone from college she hasn't seen in 10 years or something." Suzie shrugged

Jane felt a little better

"Suzie, you got a minute?"

"Anything for you detective"

"In the hall please?"

"Sure?"

"Are we still on for tonight?"

"You couldn't have said that to me inside Jane?"

"I don't want anyone to know, you know dating a co-worker and all. I'm in enough trouble as it is with all this Doyle stuff"

"Are we officially dating detective?" Suzie said with a smug grin on her face

Jane laughed "If you want, yeah. I just thought you were using me for my body" Jane said teasingly

"Yes Jane, we are still on for tonight, I'll come up after work ok? I have some PCR to run for Sergeant Detective Korsac, those primers wont ready themselves!"

And with that Suzie turned and left Jane with a foolish grin on her face

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><p>At 5 o'clock Suzie knocked on Maura's door<p>

"It's 5 o'clock Dr Isles. Do you mind if I go?"

"5 O'clock already? I'm going to be late!"

And with that Maura Isles sprang from her desk and hurried out the door.

"Ok then…" Suzie murmured

"Hey baby, you read…" Jane's sentence ends abruptly as Maura crashes head on into her.

"Jane"

"Maura"

"Who were you calling baby?"

"Suzie…"

"Suzie?!" Maura exclaimed.

"Yes Dr Isles?"

"You're dating detective Rizzoli?" She said in realisation, as it hit her.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Jane said.

Maura span on her heel and stormed out of the room


End file.
